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<p>Maldives has been impacted by a mass dieback of mangroves in its northern islands during March 2020 and March 2021. This dieback particularly affected the <i>Bruguiera cylindrica</i>, which holds historical and cultural significance to the local community. There are significant concerns regarding the consequences of such an incident, considering the vital ecological and economic roles played by mangrove ecosystems and the challenges in handling policy and management in the face of the sudden depletion of natural resources, affecting both local and regional levels. In response, this study documented the mangrove structure and the environmental, oceanic, and climatic factors of the affected and control islands alongside community perceptions regarding mangrove dieback. Field and drone-based aerial surveys revealed that a total of 22.12 ha of mangrove area and 44,267 trees /ha of <i>B. cylindrica</i> have died off. Linear mixed-effects model between the mortality and explanatory variables revealed that increased soil salinity resulting from elevated temperatures prolonged drought caused by the triple La Nina phenomenon, and positive Indian Ocean Dipole, as well as localized sea level fluctuations, is responsible for the massive dieback of mangroves. The study’s results indicate that mangroves are highly susceptible to drastic sea level shifts and climate change. The socio-ecological survey conducted through semi-structured interviews in the study area revealed community perceptions of mangrove ecosystems, with 89% attributing recent declines in mangrove cover to mass dieback, significantly impacting livelihoods, particularly through the loss of provisioning and supporting services, emphasizing the need for their conservation whenever feasible.</p>

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Distribution, drivers, and community perceptions of recent mass mangrove dieback in Maldives

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年3月22日

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  • S. Sreelekshmi,
  • B. Aneesh,
  • S. Bijoy Nandan,
  • Aishath Farhath Ali,
  • Mohammad Saddam Hussain,
  • K. B. Smart,
  • P. Hari Praved,
  • M. Harikrishnan,
  • Girish Gopinath,
  • AL Achu,
  • S. Vishnu Narayanan Nampoothiri,
  • E. H. Aravind,
  • Fathimath Shibana Mohamed,
  • Ahmed Leevan,
  • Maryam Rifga,
  • Hussain Sufran,
  • Mohamed Aiman,
  • Afa Hussain,
  • M Sreelakshmi

摘要

Maldives has been impacted by a mass dieback of mangroves in its northern islands during March 2020 and March 2021. This dieback particularly affected the Bruguiera cylindrica, which holds historical and cultural significance to the local community. There are significant concerns regarding the consequences of such an incident, considering the vital ecological and economic roles played by mangrove ecosystems and the challenges in handling policy and management in the face of the sudden depletion of natural resources, affecting both local and regional levels. In response, this study documented the mangrove structure and the environmental, oceanic, and climatic factors of the affected and control islands alongside community perceptions regarding mangrove dieback. Field and drone-based aerial surveys revealed that a total of 22.12 ha of mangrove area and 44,267 trees /ha of B. cylindrica have died off. Linear mixed-effects model between the mortality and explanatory variables revealed that increased soil salinity resulting from elevated temperatures prolonged drought caused by the triple La Nina phenomenon, and positive Indian Ocean Dipole, as well as localized sea level fluctuations, is responsible for the massive dieback of mangroves. The study’s results indicate that mangroves are highly susceptible to drastic sea level shifts and climate change. The socio-ecological survey conducted through semi-structured interviews in the study area revealed community perceptions of mangrove ecosystems, with 89% attributing recent declines in mangrove cover to mass dieback, significantly impacting livelihoods, particularly through the loss of provisioning and supporting services, emphasizing the need for their conservation whenever feasible.